Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait is
fittingly named, diving into the personal life of the subject before defining
his significance in the art world. Filled with intimate interviews with family
members and friends, the documentary is far more concerned with the personality
and approach to life that Schnabel takes than it is his actual work. Eventually
the movie shows us his work, but rather than contextualize the significance of
his paintings and films, it chooses to focus on the creative process at work.

The Glass Castle has a messy narrative,
mostly because the film is based on a true story and real life is rarely as neat
and tidy as we expect our entertainment to be. This makes the countless loose
ends in the story understandable, even if it does not make the film any more
satisfying in its shortcomings. In adapting Jeanette Walls’ memoir, director
Destin Daniel Cretton and co-screenwriter Andrew Lanham introduce a number of
interesting ideas and relationships, but only one really becomes fully
developed in the limited run-time. One can’t help but wonder what a more
balanced film would have looked like, and how the dedication of the supporting
players would have been even more effective had there been more time for proper
character development.